al + -ende

While Doing: Al Lopende

Level 5

Add a second action: Hy het al lopende sy toebroodjie geëet. (He ate his sandwich while walking.)

How It Works

1. The form. Add -ende to the verb stem and put al in front:

  • loop → al lopende (while walking)
  • sing → al singende (while singing)
  • praat → al pratende (while talking)
  • werk → al werkende (while working)

Some stems change their sound, as in the -ende participle: skryf → al skrywende.

2. Same subject. The subject of the sentence does both actions at once. For a different subject, use a terwyl clause.

3. Position. The phrase usually stands in the middle of the clause, after the finite verb: Sy het al singende die skottelgoed gewas.

4. A well-known saying: Al doende leer ons. (We learn by doing.)

5. Everyday options. In speech, people often use a doubled verb (Sy kom lag-lag in.) or a terwyl clause (terwyl hy loop). Al + -ende is more careful and literary.

Examples (6)

  1. Hy het al lopende sy toebroodjie geëet.

    He ate his sandwich while walking.

    Word by Word: He has while walking his sandwich eaten.

  2. Sy het al singende die skottelgoed gewas.

    She washed the dishes while singing.

    Word by Word: She has while singing the dishes washed.

  3. Al doende leer ons.

    We learn by doing.

    Word by Word: While doing learn we.

    A well-known saying. Doende comes from doen.

  4. Die kinders het al pratende huis toe gestap.

    The children walked home, chatting as they went.

    Word by Word: The children have while talking home to walked.

  5. Hy het al werkende sy graad voltooi.

    He completed his degree while working.

    Word by Word: He has while working his degree completed.

  6. Sy het die storie al skrywende uitgedink.

    She made up the story as she wrote it.

    Word by Word: She has the story while writing out-thought.

    Skryf becomes skrywende: the w sound comes back before -ende.

Common Mistakes

  • Using al + -ende for an action by someone else.

    Al lopende het die reën begin.
    Terwyl ons geloop het, het dit begin reën.

    Al + -ende describes what the subject itself is doing. Here the rain did not walk, so use a terwyl clause.

  • Leaving out al.

    Hy het lopende sy toebroodjie geëet.
    Hy het al lopende sy toebroodjie geëet.

    Without al, lopende reads as an adjective, as in lopende water (running water). Al makes it mean "while walking".

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

al + -endeLevel 5While Doing: Al Lopende

Learn This First

Al + -ende means while doing.

Words in This Pattern

-ende